Page 56 of The Cowboy's Miracle Baby

Her mom took her hand. “He seems kinda right to me.”

“That’s only because he’s here now, but in a week or two, he’ll be gone.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“So he says. Besides, he’s been running from involvement since his wife died years ago. And I think he’s still in love with her.”

“You don’t stop loving someone after they die. But eventually that person takes another seat at the table and makes room for someone new. For more love. At least, I believe that’s true.”

Maybe it was true that Sarah still somehow loved Cami’s difficult father before he died. But Ray Cooper—her mother’s love—had taken that seat at her table long ago and never left.

“Well, Gus is leaving after Christmas with Eloise and Luke. So, that table feels pretty booked up. It’s okay, Mom. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”

Big words. Or big lies.

Since the day he’d mentioned, oh, so casually, that he intended to leave after Christmas to move to Denver, a little red warning light had been flashing in her brain. A little red, common-sense light that saidProtect yourself. This won’t end well.And ignoring that little light was like driving down a road in the dark without headlights, knowing that somewhere up ahead—it could be far ahead or only a few hundred feet—there was a deep sinkhole and if she wasn’t careful, she would plunge right in.

Chapter Twelve

It was decidedafter that night that Tara would, indeed, move into the apartment that was part of the small barn with Lolly and they would train her for a job on the ranch. Sarah contacted the sheriff the next day and explained the situation. She filled him in on Tara’s history and the fact that Tara had never technically left the baby but had been on their ranch all along keeping an eye on her. Sarah had convinced him, as only she could, to trust them to be responsible for Lolly’s and Tara’s safety, and to guarantee that Tara would enroll in a parenting program at the local hospital. Tara agreed wholeheartedly. It didn’t hurt that she and the sheriff had known each other since high school or that he was sympathetic to the plight of aged-out foster kids. He wished all of them well.

“But what will I do?” Tara asked Sarah when all that was finally settled.

“Well, what are you good at?”

“Messing up,” she answered, her cheeks coloring. “Obviously.” She bounced Lolly on her shoulder and the baby snuggled against her neck.

“Everyone makes mistakes, Tara,” Sarah said. “We all have. You can’t change your past, but your future is another matter altogether. That’s all right there waiting for you to take it. Now, tell me what you enjoy. Maybe we can find a fit on the ranch. And if not exactly, maybe we’ll uncover something new that you will enjoy.”

“I’ll do any job you want. Clean toilets. Sweep floors. I’m good at those.”

“Okay. But let’s think bigger than that. Are you… good with animals? Do you have any special skills?”

Tara hesitated. “I like animals. I just don’t know any, except for the horses down at the barn. I kinda made friends with them so they wouldn’t give me away. But I learned to do spreadsheets in computer class at school before I… And I’m pretty good at reels. Social media.”

“Excellent!” Shay said. “A younger perspective is awesome for our social media.”

“And I draw some, so I could maybe do art for your guest ranch? If you need it that is…”

“You draw?” Cami asked, surprised.

She lifted her chin as if ready to be shot down. “Yeah. I can show you some if you want.”

Her art was surprising and spectacular. It left all of them speechless. She’d done detailed portraits in pencil and in charcoal, and drawings of Copper Mountain and Marietta alongside some graphic art. But she also pulled out a portrait of Lolly that she must have done before everything happened.

Sarah stared at all of them in awe. “Tara. These are wonderful. How long have you been drawing?”

“My whole life. It was the one thing I could call mine, before Lolly, that is. I wanted a picture of her to keep.”

Cami and Sarah exchanged impressed looks.

“You any good with logos?” Liam asked, washing his hands in the sink. “’Cause we could sure use a new one.”

“I’ve never done one before, but I could try.” Tara’s face brightened. “But I’ll do anything. I can feed the animals, too, or clean out stalls or—”

“There are always a million things to do on this new guest ranch we’re building, which, for better or worse, won’t really officially open until spring. We’re still building the cottages and glamping tents and putting the finishing touches on our rentals. The Montana winter has put a stop to a lot of that for now. But first things first.” Sarah stood and poured more coffee in everyone’s mug. “You’re going to settle in, get your strength back, and then we’ll figure things out. Right now, the rest of us have got a full day prepping for Will and Izzy’s wedding tomorrow. So, let’s make some breakfast.”

As Sarah returned to the kitchen, Tara turned to Cami and teared up. “I… um… haven’t said thank you, yet, especially to you. For watching over my baby. For not hating me. And for giving me this chance. No one’s ever been this kind to me before.”

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